Snow set to spill into Alberta this weekend ahead of deep freeze

A dose of weekend snow will kick off the beginning of our impending polar plunge across Alberta.

Moisture from a system tracking through British Columbia will crest the Rockies on Saturday and bring accumulating snows to parts of southern Alberta through the weekend. It’s great news for ski resorts and a possible headache for travellers.

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Snow will develop near Jasper and Hinton on Saturday afternoon, slowly moving south along the foothills and grazing Red Deer through the day before arriving in Calgary, Banff, and Airdrie by the evening hours.

The evening and early overnight period will bring the steadiest light snowfall to the area, with precipitation drawing to an end Sunday morning. A few flurries will continue in the morning for folks around Highway 3.

This isn’t going to be a blockbuster storm by any means, but it’ll be enough for travellers to have to take it slow in spots. The greatest totals will fall from Banff to Jasper, where forecasters expect 5-15 cm of accumulation through Sunday morning.

Folks toward Calgary will likely see lighter totals around 3-5 cm, but it’s worth noting that any quick-hitting intense bands of snow could bring heavier amounts than currently expected. Keep that potential in mind if you have to go out on Saturday evening or early Sunday morning.

DON’T MISS: What is the polar vortex? How it’s responsible for dangerous cold

Following this weekend’s snowfall, all eyes will turn toward the progress of the polar vortex.

A surge of Arctic air sagging across Alberta into next week will send temperatures plunging far below seasonal for the second week of January—an abrupt reversal from the tremendous and unusual warmth we’ve seen to start the winter.

Daytime highs in Calgary, Red Deer, and Edmonton will struggle to climb out of the -20s by the latter half of next week, with dangerously cold wind chills likely throughout the province.

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